CURRENT LITERATURE.
GIFT-BOOKS.
In the "Old Corner Series" (Griffith, Ferran, and Co.), we have Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, and The Story of Blue Beard, both illustrated by A. Chasemore. These illustrations, one coloured in each volume and the rest plain, are particularly good. Perhaps the "ogres" are too good. We can imagine a child dreaming of these over-hideous creatures.—From the same publishers we get John Chinaman, description versified by Rowe Livingstone. The verses are fairly good doggrel. Here is a specimen :—
"At dinner, when you fall to work, They give you neither knife nor fork; But, armed with little sicks, you dine— That gay with paint and lacquer shine. More than enough there was to eat, All, if you liked it, exquisite.
Patties of earthworms first were brought, Shark-fins, as good as e'er were caught, Came next, with shoots of bamboo green
Leeches in jelly next were seen;
Then a compote of caterpillar; Then, in a bowl of porcelain fine, a Dish of boiled eggs, much liked in China, —That had lain buried in a cellar For yvars (I'm not a story-teller). Boast crickets, perfect of their kind, With gooseberry salad close behind, Came next. They served to every guest, —To crown the feast—a swallow's nest, Easy to eat, with thick sauce dressed And, for a fillip after meat, A cut of pig's lard hot and sweet."
The illustrations are plentiful and excellent. Better representa- tions of Chinese ways—of course in the style of caricature—we do not remember to have seen.—Over the Sees: Stories of Two Worlds. Edited by A. Datchett Martin. (Same publishers.)—This is a laudable effort to interest English children in their little kinsfolk across the sea, and these latter, again, in their English cousins. Several writers of reputation, among whom we may mention Mrs. Campbell Praed, Mr. Frederic E. Weatherley, and Mr. Hume Nisbet, have contributed to the volume. We do not think that all the tales are likely to please, or, indeed, are such as one would like to read to the little ones. "The Sea-Bird's Message" is a heartrending story of how two children run away from a cruel step-mother, and are found by their father and a search-party lying dead in the bush. "Nan," again, is a tale of a child cast on the shore from a wreck (are babies ever found alive clinging to a mother's breast ?), brought up by a kind couple, and then handed over to a drunken and brutal father, who by a chance as strange as it is unwelcome, comes on shore alive from another wreck on the very same spot. This is not a cheerful prospect, in spite of Mr. Weatherley's optimism. "Lost in the Bush" is a third dismal narrative. The illustrations are decidedly good, " Nan " being perhaps the best, though "A Tale of a Thief" is not far off.—Hearts and Voices : Songs of the Better Land. Illus- trated by Henry Ryland and others. (Same publishers.)—Here we have eight hymns for children, including such well-known favourites as "Once in Royal David's city" and "There's a Friend for little children," illustrated with coloured and other pictures. It would, we think, have been an improvement, in the direction of utility, for this pretty little book if the music had been given.
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